1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to technology applicable to various aspects of audiology including, particularly, that this invention can be used to provide hearing evaluations to clients at various places and to provide hearing aids to clients based on those hearing evaluations.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hearing test provides an evaluation of the sensitivity of a person's sense of hearing. Hearing tests are most often performed by an audiologist using an audiometer. Usually an audiometer may be used to determine a person's hearing sensitivity at different frequencies.
An audiometer hearing test may be administered to a person sitting in a soundproof booth wearing a set of headphones, which is connected to an audiometer. Tones at specific frequencies and set volume levels may be presented to each ear of the user independently. The audiologist or licensed hearing aid specialist may plot the hearing levels of the user, e.g. in decibels, on an audiogram. People having their hearing tested will convey that they have heard the tone by either raising a hand or pressing a button. As the test progresses, the audiologist or hearing aid specialist may plot points on a graph having frequency on the x-axis and hearing level on the y-axis. Hearing level (HL) is referenced to the known average level at which people with normal hearing are able to detect the tones. Once multiple frequencies are tested and plotted, the points may be joined by a line so that one can see at a glance which frequencies are not being heard normally and what degree of hearing loss may be present. Normal hearing at any frequency is typically a hearing level of 15 dB HL or quieter, with worsening hearing as the HL value increases.
After the hearing test, a hearing aid may be prescribed to the user according to the audiogram of the user generated during the hearing test. Hearing aids typically fit in or behind the wearer's ear and may be designed to amplify sound for the wearer.
Some types of hearing tests have been proposed that can be carried out by a user at home. The test may involve Internet connectivity. In traditional home tests, however, devices used for the hearing test, such as a sound card of a computer and headphones, need to be carefully calibrated to ensure that test results are accurate.